Water Lily
by azarathangel
Summary: Brennan unwillingly accompanies Booth to identify a body when disaster strikes in the form of a raging river. [BoothxBones]
1. The Emerald Abyss

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None (I've only seen two episodes anyway…)**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Going to be two, unless people need more…**

**Last Words: Again, I have only seen two episodes and I am mostly going off of what I have read on people's stories. Don't hurt me! –hides in corner-**

* * *

The door of his spotless black SUV slammed shut as Special Agent Seeley Booth strode through the parking lot and through the front doors of the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington D.C. He navigated his way through stretches of familiar halls and reached the empty office of Dr. Temperance Brennan, resident forensic anthropologist. Seeing it was empty, Booth walked to the lab where she was probably working with the other scientists. And there she was, calmly walking around a table that housed the skeletal remains of something or another. Booth watched her work and took a deep breath. It was never easy to pry her away from projects. 

"Hey, Bones!" He put on the ol' charm smile as he walked up to her. She looked up at him with a glare.

"Don't call me that." Brennan said with a slight shake of the head. Booth ignored her request, and instead, began looking at the bones scattered around the table. Brennan watched him feign interest in her current puzzle before crossing her arms over her chest and frowning.

"What are you doing?" She asked bluntly. Booth looked surprised and almost hurt at her accusation.

"You mean I can't be interested in your work?" He asked innocently. Brennan sighed.

"What do you want, Booth? I know you didn't come here just to look at bones and I would like to get back to work." She frowned.

"Well, I actually came here to get you to look at bones." Booth smiled and leaned on the table. Brennan's eyebrow quirked as she glared at him and his elbow on her table.

"Off." Brennan demanded. Booth quickly complied. He didn't want her too angry on their way to the site. "And why do you need me to come look at bones? I can very well do that right here." Booth sighed.

"Some kids were playing along a riverbank making sandcastles with the sand. One of them went to dig up some dirt a few feet off to decorate the castle with. Kid finds a bony hand sticking up in the ground, freaks out. We need an ID on the skeleton." Booth stated flatly. Brennan just stood there, arms crossed defiantly over her chest. "Oh, c'mon Bones! We just need an ID. It shouldn't take you too long to give the bones an once-over and then we can get someone else to cart them back here." The forensic anthropologist sighed exasperatedly.

"Hurry up before I change my mind." She growled, removing her lab coat and gloves. Booth, surprised at how easy it was to get her to come, followed Brennan back to her office and watched her remove the rubber band from her hair, the brown waves cascading down her back.

"What?" She asked Booth, giving him a strange look. Booth realized he was staring.

"Nothing." He said hurriedly. Brennan gave him another look before pulling her long black coat on over her dark green shirt and jeans. Booth held the door for her as she walked past him, and he caught a breath of her sweet perfume before following the anthropologist down the halls and out the door.

* * *

The skies were unusually dark for the midmorning hour. Clouds were rolling in from the east and the air was very thick. A cool breeze ruffled Brennan's hair, and she pulled her coat tightly around her small frame. She ducked under the yellow police tape that surrounded a patch of ground by a river. Booth began speaking to the head officer on the scene while another policeman directed Brennan over to the site where the body was. She snapped on a pair of latex gloves and crouched down beside the hole, looking over the remains. 

The sky began rumbling softly, and a light misty rain begin initiated its descent toward the ground. The policeman warned Brennan to watch the soft ground, lest is slide from beneath her feet. She mumbled a reply, clearly absorbed in the bones, and the policeman left her to her work. Booth found himself glancing back at her every few minutes, watching her small back as she knelt over the bones and observed them. He turned back to the officer on site and began talking about the condition of the terrain and past weather that could have disturbed the bones.

Brennan stood and brushed the dirt off her knees. She walked around the hole and stood on the opposite side, her back facing the frothing waters of the river. Booth and the head officer were discussing how the river, swollen with recent rain, had been wearing away at the bank and now it was just a steep incline of perilous sand beneath a lip of semi-solid earth. Booth turned back to check on Brennan again, and stopped.

She was now facing him, and he watched her eyes light up as she knelt down beside the skeleton. Her eyes were calculating, and he could almost see her brain running through scenarios behind her beautiful face. One of her hands reached into the hole and brushed dirt off of the ribcage of the skeleton. Booth watched her in silence. He didn't know why he had never noticed the fire that reigned in the deep emerald abyss of her eyes when she worked, or how they reflected the passion she held for her work once involved in a case. Booth felt a small smile work its way onto his face before he unwillingly turned back to the distraction that was the officer.

It was raining a little more heavily now, but the sky still retained its gentle rumble. The site was calm, Brennan studying, Booth talking. An interesting break in the femur closest to the river captured Brennan's attention as she abandoned the marks on the ribs. She readjusted herself so now her feet were on the seemingly solid lip of the bank as she studied the bone abrasions around the clean break. Suddenly, an eruption of thunder echoed around them. The ground shook slightly and everyone jumped at the sound. Booth spun around to face Brennan.

When the thunder had crashed, Brennan had started, just like everyone else. But, the sand under her feet shifted as the lip cracked, and she felt herself falling backwards. Her hand flew behind her, but where solid ground should have been, there was only air.

Booth watched her fall as the world around him stopped. He was frozen to the ground and he locked eyes with her. The fire was gone, replaced by fear. A truly scared expression flashed across her face as she began to disappear, little by little. Seeley Booth tried to find his voice, but it was as his feet were, stuck. He heard his name cross her lips, and then she was over the bank, gone.

"Tempe!" He finally found his voice just as a splash sounded, accompanied by another roll of thunder.

* * *

Cliffy, I know. So, what do you think? Good beginning for a first Bones fic? Horrible? You can help! Just click the little purple/blue button at the bottom left of this page and leave a review on your way out. As a bonus to clicking the button, the next chapter comes faster! So, ya! Review, please? -Ash 


	2. Journey Through River Sea

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None (I've only seen two episodes anyways…)**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Was going to be two, but can't really do that now, can I? You'll see what I mean at the end of this chapter…**

**Last Words: Again, I have only seen two episodes and I am mostly going off of what I have read on people's stories. Don't hurt me! –hides in corner-**

**Chapter 2: Journey Through the River Sea

* * *

**

Nothing in his training could have prepared Special Agent Seeley Booth for this. He ran along the river, trying to keep up with Brennan as she tumbled down the rushing waters. Every time her head dipped back below the rough surface, it was another notch in his heart, another painful hole.

"Stay with me, Tempe!" Booth called frantically, using precious air to call to her. He slid into a tree, but the pain on his head was nothing compared to what was running through his heart. He pushed his burning muscles forward, ignoring the ache in his lungs and head.

"Booth!" Brennan choked out water and tried to gulp down air. Another mouthful of water made its way down her burning throat and into her burning lungs as she once again slid beneath the murky water. Booth cried out her name again and again as he sprinted alongside the water.

"Temperance! Tempe!" He shouted, slipping and sliding his way along the bank. "Bones!" He caught a glimpse of her amid the debris from the rain. Trees, branches, leaves, mud, it was all there. He saw her come up again, gasping for breath as she thrashed about, trying to keep her head up. They locked eyes as Booth continued to throw himself along with her, and there was a new fire in her eyes. A fire that scared him. Not because of the intensity, though that could be scary, but for what the determination meant, and what failing would do to him. It was a determination to stay alive, to survive.

Brennan continued to fight the cold and pain. Her knee hurt terribly from a collision with a rock and her palms were scrapped, an attempt to hold onto a rock in the river that didn't turn out so well. She expected Booth to be chasing her in his black SUV and keep his suit clean along with the rest of the people from the site, expected them to follow the river and pick her up at the end of it. This river ended in a large pool; after all, it was only active in the rainy season and didn't really lead anywhere. But as she surfaced, there was Booth, calling her name and running after her. She could see multiple scratches on him and his suit was torn and muddy, not to mention a small trickle of blood that the rain hadn't yet washed away on the side of his face. There was intensity to his deep brown eyes as he chased her. A passion unfamiliar to Brennan. A sharp pain seared through her head, interrupting her thoughts, and she sank back into blackness as the water rushed over her head.

Booth watched in horror as Tempe's head cracked against a boulder, and her eyes closed as she once more sank beneath the cruel water's surface. Booth wiped rain from his face as a new energy of desperation flooded his veins. She would travel faster now, in the swift undercurrents of the unpredictable river. After what seemed like minutes, though it was really only seconds, Brennan surfaced again. The cold seemed to be keeping her from a complete blackout, but she was fading in and out of consciousness and Booth was determined not to lose her again.

"Don't give up, Tempe!" He yelled over the thunder. The rain made it harder and harder to see as it continued to fall in torrents. Booth could barely make out a black mass a hundred or so yards downstream. It was a tangle of low hanging branches. Perfect.

"Grab the branches!" He called to her, hoping she could hear. Tempe showed no sign that she had indeed heard him over the skies and current, but she didn't really need to. Brennan crashed right into the mesh of branches and held on tight. Booth slid to a stop across from her and watched Brennan hang on for dear life, water pummeling her as it crashed around her. Booth kept his eyes on her as he rested his hands on his knees, bending over slightly and gasping for breath after his sprint down the river. He heard sirens behind him and a rescue crew made its way to where Booth stood.

"Where is she?" A middle-aged man holding a rope bag and a bullhorn tapped Booth on the shoulder. Booth straightened up and looked at the man. His ensemble screamed rescue team and his name tag read "Joe Arcult".

"Somewhere in the middle of those branches." Booth pointed to the amalgamation of leaves and wood where he hoped Temperance was still holding on. A large, burly man whose name patch read "Randy Medder" came rushing towards them, a large portable spotlight held between him and another man of equal size. They set the light down on the ground behind Arcult and Booth. Medder quickly set up the light and shined it out where Booth had pointed. Sure enough, Brennan was clinging to the low branches, visibly shivering even from this distance as water cascaded down her face and through her hair. Blood was continuously being washed from her face by the rain from a small scrape above her left eyebrow, and Booth was sure that if he was with her right now, he would be able to hear her soft whimpers against the forces of nature that were torturing her so.

"Oh, Bones…" Booth murmured under his breath. Brennan's eyes were closed as she pressed herself up against the web, desperately looking for safety, comfort, and warmth from the roaring waters. An occasional wave would wash over her, leaving the helpless beauty sputtering once more for precious air. "Hold on, Tempe. Just hold on…" Booth found himself whispering to her through the rain.

"Hold on ma'm." The middle-aged man called through his megaphone, repeating Booth's whispering. "We're throwing a rope out. I need you to grab the rope, not the bag. Grab the rope." It looked like Brennan nodded, but that might have just been her constant shivering under the coat of icy water she had been wearing for too long. "Golly, the river has never been this bad." Arcult mused, watching the tumbling waters roll down the bed. "Rains must've really been something awful this season." The man called Randy Medder stepped up beside Arcult and took the rope bag from him. Medder expertly tied the exposed end of it to a nearby tree in a quick-release knot before carefully aiming and hurling the bag through the wind and rain.

The bag landed with a 'plop' a little upstream from Brennan and the river carried it straight at her. Temperance shakily caught the bag and looped it around her thin waist so that it was easier to hold on to. She kept her right hand in its position around a branch and held the rope with her left, waiting for the signal to let go.

"When I say go, let go of the trees." Joe Arcult directed through his megaphone. Another shiver/nod from Brennan. Booth stood there, fighting the urge to chew his fingernails all the way to the quick. He could only wait, and hope. Hope that Temperance would return to him alive, hope that the greedy waters would give her up. It was always hard to watch someone else rescue a loved one… Booth froze as his thoughts trailed through his brain. Well, that was unexpected…

"Go!" Arcult commanded in his soft Southern accent. The command broke Booth from his thoughts and he watched the rescue begin to unfold. It had gone wrong from the very beginning.

Brennan let her cold hand drop from the tree as she grabbed the rope with both of her hands. The force of the river surprised her and the crew on the bank. She was immediately pulled from the grasp of the tree, leaving bits of shirt, coat, and denim behind on the touch branches. The river swept her small frame along and the rope went taught, jerking Brennan's grasp from the rope to the bag in an attempt to hold on. Simultaneously, the quick-release knot decided to live up to its name. It had been pulled so hard by the river current that it let go. Medder grabbed the rope just before it snaked its way around and off the tree. He pulled it back, trying to get Brennan back from where the river stubbornly kept her.

Rope tumbled out of the bag and Temperance was pulled further downstream. She finally managed to grab the rope again. The hemp line slid through her hands before she came to a holding knot where her rope-burned hands finally stopped. Brennan felt herself being pulled back up the river against the swift current. Booth stood, waiting, his hands itching to pull Temperance close and never let her go again. But, just as everything was working out, the dead betrayed Brennan.

A giant, dead tree with branches sticking out of it every which way came hurtling down the river, probably the victim of a mudslide further upstream. Brennan watched the dead wood drive straight towards her and her eyes grew wide. A branch snagged on the rescue tope and the tree swung around, the roots barely missing Temperance's face. The muscle man holding the rope grunted against the sudden pressure the tree had put on the rope and him. But, the tree was dead, not living with springy green limbs, but dead with brittle grey ones. The branch cracked and slammed into Brennan. It had only been a glancing blow, but combined with the rest of the elements, it was enough. She held on for a moment longer, and Booth watched her with a hopeful and longing face. But, the cold finally took its toll along with the brunt of the imposing tree. Brennan's frozen hands slide from the rope, and she was once more lost to the mighty force that was the river.

* * *

Umm, sorry for yet another cliffy? Well, don't kill me just yet; I have the outline for chapter three made already. I had kind of planned for this to end earlier and with a different plot, but a request from Ataea got me to thinking, so I changed the plot around a little. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and the reason this is up today is because I got some wonderful reviews! So, review and chapters come faster. But I do have a paper to write for school tomorrow, so we'll see when the next chapter will come. ) toodles! -Ash 


	3. Hold On When You Feel Like Letting Go

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None (I've only seen two episodes anyways…)**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Was going to be two, but can't really do that now, can I? At the moment, it'll be around four or five chapters**

**Last Words: Again, I have only seen two episodes and I am mostly going off of what I have read on people's stories. Don't hurt me! –hides in corner-**

**Chapter 3: Hold On When You Feel Like Letting Go **(I was listening to Good Charlotte hehe)

Note: Alyssa, I wasn't going to put this up just yet but since you insist on checking every ten minutes… )

* * *

Booth watched in horror as Brennan once again slipped between his fingers and out of sight. 

"Bones?" He called to the waters. Booth felt the familiar grip of panic begin to squeeze his chest, and he set off to sprint after Brennan once again. A gentle, yet firm hand gripped his shoulder, halting his movements. Booth spun to face the man who dared keep him from Bones. It was gentle Joe Arcult.

"No use wasting your energy here. This river ends in a large pool a little farther down. We can head over there, and then you can pick up your pretty little girlfriend." Arcult said with a twinkle in his eye. Booth opened his mouth to protest, but Joe was already heading back to the truck. Booth took one last look at the river, wondering why he had hesitated before deciding to protest about Tempe. The water rushed down the path laid out for it from previous rainy seasons, a carved conduit from the years water had been rushing through here. The river took anything that dared step into it along for the journey down to the pool. Booth glared at the river. It took his Bones from him in one second. He glanced back down the river where she had been swept away once more.

"C'mon Bones…" He urged. And with that, he jogged back to the car where Arcult, Medder, and some others from the site were waiting for him.

* * *

Brennan watched the tree in front of her with contempt. Since it had ruined her chance of escape from the damnation that was this river, she had been shoved under the water once again and come up behind the large tree. This was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because if the tree got stuck, she could grab it and stop her journey down the river. Bad: if it stopped, her journey could end with her shattered body stuck in the protruding branches. Or, it could stop in a deep place and Temperance could be dragged under it by the current, either going down the stupid stream once more or getting caught in the branches and drowning. This was a pleasant situation, indeed. 

Another wave of water pushed her from behind, and Brennan's face splashed down into the water. The force turned her into a somersault like many before, and she came up trying to force water out of her nose and suck air in when two things happened. First, she realized that Booth was no longer running after her, and instead she heard the sirens of the rescue squad pass her and trundle on down the road. The fact that Booth was no longer with her bothered her more than it should have. It was Booth, after all. But, she remembered as water once again flooded her eyes and mouth, there had been that passion in his eyes, a fire similar to her own when in a sticky situation such as this. Although she didn't know exactly what it stood for, Brennan knew it had been for her. Before she could go any further in her analysis, the second thing happened.

The tree managed to lodge itself in between the banks at a particularly narrow spot, deep too. Just what Brennan had been dreading. She gathered her energy in a last attempt to keep her head above the water and get herself out of this situation. The brittle branches caught her roughly, and she was stuck in them for a moment before the current forced her against the truck, snapping the thick limbs as if they were mere twigs and scratching her face and arms as they broke. Temperance pulled her legs out of the pull of the current so that the river could not pull her back under and she surveyed the surface of the tree with chattering teeth. Where the thicker branches had broken there were now the remains of the base of the branches, providing some rather handy handholds. If only Booth was still here, he could save her. But she was alone, and just like it had been her entire life, Brennan would have to save herself.

Temperance turned herself so that her knees were pressed against the trunk and her shoulders were squared. She stretched a trembling hand up and grabbed a hand hold with stiff fingers. The water continued to roar around her, running over her shoulders but pushing her further up the face of the tree. She reached with her other hand and found another bump on the tree to hold onto. With teeth gritted and a set mind, Temperance Brennan hauled herself halfway out of the water and began the difficult climb from the freezing river and onto the tree.

* * *

Booth was out of the large truck before it had even stopped. He could see lightning reflect off of the near calm surface of the large pool as he ran towards it, tripping over roots and sliding in the thick mud. He heard Arcult and the others following and shouting at him to wait for the light, but he paid them no heed. Booth skidded to a stop next to the dark pool and peered through the heavy rain, searching for either the infamous tree or Brennan. Booth's heart fell. There was no sign of either. 

The black watch on his wrist beeped noon, but it could just as well have been midnight. The skies were still pitch-black, and the rain hadn't let up yet. Thunder and lightning fought for dominance in the sky, each crash bigger than the last. Medder appeared beside him. He quickly set the spotlight up again and the thick beam cut through the rain. The sweeping light only confirmed Booth's earlier observations: nothing.

"Well don't that beat all." Arcult drawled. "She must've gotten held up by that tree or sometin' else farther up the river." Arcult scratched his balding head under his cap.

"I'll go back up the river and look for the tree. Stay here and watch the fall incase Brennan shows up." Booth pointed to the small fall where the river met the pool. Medder nodded and set the light on the fall, illuminating the soft fog that rose from where the river poured into the pool. Booth turned to go.

"You be careful now. Can't have both of ye missin'." Joe gently told Booth. The FBI agent nodded once before sprinting back up the small hill of the pool and up the river. The dark waters rushed past him on his left as he strained to find Temperance in the water. But, like before, the forensic anthropologist was just out of reach.

* * *

Brennan lay gasping on the other side of the river. How she managed to haul herself up the side of the tree and craw across it to the bank, she had no clue. But it had sure been easy to drop like a rag doll from the tree to the soggy ground where she now lay. Temperance rolled over on her side as yet another fit of coughs conquered her shaking body. The water continued to pour from her mouth as she hacked her way through the foul tasting liquid that had flooded her lungs. When the fit passed, Temperance rolled back onto her back, the rain drops falling hard on her face.

For once, Brennan was glad that she was so numb. If it wasn't cold and there was no feeling in her body right now, the pain and injury she had obtained from her journey would be near unbearable. Even in her deadened state, Brennan could feel the lump on her head, the pain in her knee, and the overall ache of her battered body. She groaned as a small branch detached itself from a tree and hit her on her injured knee.

"No use sitting here." Temperance said to herself. She had to find Booth. Something inside her told her that if she could only find Booth, everything would be okay. And her gut told her that this wasn't the most ideal location to be. So, Brennan gritted her teeth and, using the tree for support, hauled herself to her feet. Her knee hurt tremendously, but she could walk. Her new resolve to find Booth gave her strength as Brennan limped away from the tree and downstream. If she could find the pool, maybe, just maybe she could find Booth…

Booth studied the tree wedged between the banks. Where on earth could Brennan be? A small movement on the opposite side of the river caught Booth's eye, but he wrote it off as the trees and shadows dancing in the rain. Booth could not see anyone stuck in the branches on either side of the tree, so that meant either Temperance was past it, or even stuck beneath it. Drowning.

He kicked the tree in frustration at his own thoughts of Brennan being gone, and just because at that moment, he really hated the tree. But he froze when he heard it creak. The sky flashed dangerously as the log continued to quiver and all of the sudden, Booth got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stand on end against the pounding of the rain as the air around him began to sizzle. Booth flung himself away from the river and onto the ground just as a giant crash of lighting hit the log dead center. The dead wood cracked in an explosion of sodden splinters and flying branches. The river grabbed it at the break and the wood fell away from the banks as the river whisked it downstream. Booth felt the splinters from the wood hail down on his back and head while he stood and watched the two pieces of lumber roll away to the fall. He looked back across the water and saw a small, dark shape quiver on the ground a few feet away from where the tree had been.

"Lightning must've knocked down some other stuff, too…" Booth mused. He took another good look around the river. No Brennan. His own footsteps sounded hollow in his ears as he jogged back to where Arcult was, the panic of the situation slowly squeezing the life out of him.

Arcult listened as Booth described what happened with the tree in great detail, and watched Booth's eyes as they flickered from Arcult's face to the water and back again.

"Well, if ye didn't see her, she must've not been there. Don't worry, sir. She probably got tossed up on the shore. We'll find her. I'm sure of it! But it's no use in this weather." A crash of thunder accented Joe's statement. "We're gonna hafta wait till it dies down a bit." Booth nodded rigidly. He hated waiting, especially if he didn't know how it was going to turn out.

"I'll find you, Bones. Just hang on a little longer." Thunder echoed around him as his words were whipped away by the howling winds. Medder's spotlight flickered out with an explosion, leaving Booth in the dark holding onto his last bit of hope. "Just hold on."

* * *

Ah, don't you just love cliffies? Well, if canadianagurl wants to call me the cliffy queen, I better live up to it! Hehe. I don't know if I really like this chapter, but I'm also kind of worried about Alyssa and if she's gonna go crazy. (jk ur awesome lol) So, leave me a little review and tell me what you think! I got school tomorrow, so I hope to finish the next chapter up either tomorrow or the next day. Bear with me people! -Ash 


	4. The Road Not Taken

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None (I've only seen two episodes anyways…)**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Was going to be two, but can't really do that now, can I? At the moment, it'll be around four or five chapters**

**Last Words: Again, I have only seen two episodes and I am mostly going off of what I have read on people's stories. Don't hurt me! –hides in corner-**

**Chapter 3: The Road Not Taken **(Robert Frost, amazing poem btw)

Note: Erkith is a genius. I'll elaborate at the end of this chapter… hehe : )

Double Note: I didn't proof this chapter as thorougly as usual, just so you guys could get it faster, so sorry for any petty mistakes! But, ENJOY!

* * *

Brennan slowly opened her heavy eyelids as she rolled onto her back. The rain was beginning to lighten, but the sky was still dark as it had been all day. She faintly remembered seeing someone, or something, moving across the stream before the giant bout of lightning, but whatever it was had since disappeared from the other side. Standing shakily on trembling legs, Temperance winced as a jolt of pain ran through her entire body. She was stiff, sore, bruised, and tired. But, she had to find Booth, no matter what. 

The ground was slippery, and Brennan found herself down in the mud more than she would have liked. But each trip just made her even more determined to get back up and keep moving. The stiffness was beginning to lapse, but her muscles only screamed at her even more as the feeling began to return to her limbs. Brennan felt the ground rise beneath her feet as she reached a small hill. The roar of the water was louder here, and a wispy fog rose on her left. She finished her climb to the top of the small mound of earth and peered out over the terrain in front of her. The river was gone now. She had finally reached the pool. If Brennan could run, or jump for joy, that's what she would be doing. Running down the hill and around it to where Booth was probably parked with the rest of the rescue squad. A fat lot of help they did… But in her current physical condition, she was satisfied with a speedy limp down the hill.

A root caught the toe of her shoe, and Temperance was flung down the incline. She landed, hard, and rolled out towards the pool. Brennan flung an aching arm out in an attempt to stop the rolling, and it worked. Along with the help of the dark waters, her movement slowed, and she lay still in the shallow liquid. Her roll down the small hill did nothing for her pains, and every nerve ending was on fire as she lay there. The determination to keep going was there, but this time, Brennan did not get up.

The sound of soft footsteps and a gentle splash reached Tempe's ears, but she did not have the strength to raise her aching head. A pair of strong arms wove their way under her knees and neck as Brennan felt herself being lifted into the air and set back again on the soggy earth. Someone was whispering gentle nothings, and the voice soothed the persistent throb behind her ears, and quieted the jackhammers behind her eyes. Brennan felt the heat of someone's breath on her neck, and goose bumps ran up and down her arms and neck at the warmth against her cool skin.

"Can't have ye findin' out what happened to the body by the river, now, can we?" Something sharp connected with the soft flesh of her stomach and twist through her skin. Brennan felt the rusty liquid that was her life source begin to leak out and run down her side. Too tired to react to the pain, Brennan felt herself hoisted into the air once more.

* * *

Booth paced anxiously around the small campsite the rescue squad had set up. The rain was beginning to taper off, and now it was drizzling lightly. Joe Arcult emerged from the large truck, holding a pair of heavy duty boots. He walked over to the group of men and sat down in a foldout chair, pulling the large boots on with an experienced air. 

"Rains lettin' up, I'm gonna go walk round and see what I can see." Arcult announced, standing back up. Booth couldn't help but notice that the thin man's jacket looked a bit, well, bulkier than it had been five minutes ago.

"I'm coming with you." Booth ceased his pacing and walked towards Arcult.

"No!" Joe's sudden outburst made Booth take a step back. "I mean, no, I'm just checkin the terrain to see if we can go out n' look yet. If I find anything, I'll call ye. Now stay here in case she comes round here. I'll be back later." Arcult turned and left, looking back over his shoulder every few yards in a paranoid fashion. Booth had been suspicious from the first 'no' Arcult shouted, but didn't say anything because the man had been so helpful lately. But now, he wasn't so sure of Arcult's "good" intentions.

Booth resumed his pacing after watching the skittish man leave, observing which direction he went. The rain had almost stopped with only the occasional rumble in the sky. There was no other suspicious activity in the camp, Booth noted as he looked around. Randy Medder was busy repairing the fixture and bulb on the spotlight from when it had exploded in the lighting, and another man named Grafton was busy coiling the rescue rope back up and stuffing it into the tiny bag. It seemed a simple enough task, but the clumsy man seemed to be having trouble getting the rope into the bag. The truck driver, a sprightly man called Anthony, had brought some small snacks out of the cab and was busy asking people if they needed anything. Each and every person in camp was busy with some task or another.

Joe Arcult had been gone for a full hour, and Booth was sitting on pins and needles. Pacing had gotten old after a while, mechanical so it did not take his mind off of Brennan anymore. Now Booth was subtly rocking back and forth on his heels, concentrating on keeping his balance and waiting like an expectant father. After five more minutes passed, Booth had had enough. Without a word to the rest of the men, he slipped between the trees and silently followed the path Arcult's boots had made in the mud. The sky rumbled, and as Booth looked up from the track, he saw a shadow detach itself from the trees on the other side of the pool. Booth quickly crouched down behind a tree and some bushes, and he waited.

The squelch of boots on mud accompanied by a tuneless whistle announced Arcult's presence. Booth narrowed his eyes at Arcult, who was snapping off a pair of latex gloves with some stain on them. His jacket had settled down on his thin frame, no longer holding the bulk it had earlier. As soon as Arcult passed, Booth crept out of his hiding spot and quickly followed Joe's path around the pool, making sure to keep to the trees in case someone else decided to go and "scout" the terrain.

He came to the woods on the other side and ducked beneath the cover of the shadows. A glance back confirmed Joes' return to the camp. Back in front of him, a path of trampled leaves and grass lead him winding through the wood. The mud from Arcult's boots had fallen to the ground, providing the path that the man of questionable intentions had trod. But soon, the mud path stopped as if the last of it had dropped from Arcult's boots. A few feet up, the path forked. One path looked like the one Booth was currently one, well trodden and clear. The other, however, held the faint impressions of boots, just barely a path. Arcult could have gone either way, so Booth had to take a gamble. The left or the right.

"I took the one less traveled by, and that will make all the difference." Booth quoted, tweaking the words to his situation. He did not know what lay beyond either path, he only hoped one of them, preferably the one he was on, held the answer to Temperance's whereabouts, and Joes's suspicious behavior.

* * *

Her head throbbed in pain as Brennan opened her lead-infused lids. She fought down a wave of nausea and focused her eyes on her leafy surroundings. The once dark, wet sky had been replaced by green vegetation with water droplets and a thick tree branch that pinned her to the ground beneath the bush. Temperance noticed the rain had stopped, but the skies beyond the green were still dark. The twigs held her still, the bush and branch her current prison. Brennan laid her head back down on the cool earth and tried to draw back memories of what had happened. This blackout, wakeup somewhere new business was getting kind of old, not to mention annoying. 

Footsteps drew her back from the barren land of fleeting memories as she tried to turn her head towards the sound. Brennan felt her eyes threaten to close again, but she fought off the darkness for the time being. A familiar black suit came into view through the thick foliage. Temperance's heart leapt, and the sudden high of a familiar pair of once clean, now muddy, shoes whipped her head up. The sudden movement, plus the heavy branch on top of her, sent Brennan's head reeling and vision swimming as she once again succumbed to the pull of the black abyss of oblivion.

Booth tensed as he saw the bush beside him shake slightly. A small whimper reached his alert ears, followed by a soft thump. Booth waited a few seconds, watching for anymore movement. When one came, he cautiously crept forward and hauled the giant limb off of the foliage before him. Kneeling in the mud to the side of the bush, he pulled back the leaves to see what injured wildlife was hiding. Boy was he in for a surprise.

He stared in shock at Temperance Brennan's still body. At first, he feared the worst, but the shallow rise and fall of her chest reassured him that Brennan was still there. His eyes traveled over her body, taking in the thick cord that held her ankles together, and the wire that twisted her arms behind her back. The pale, exposed flesh of her side revealed multiple bruises, and dried blood covered some shallow cuts on her neck and arms. Booth reached over to her head and brushed aside the hair that fell across her face. A strip of cloth was in between her teeth, and knotted behind her head. Brennan's eyes began to flutter open from the warmth of his touch, revealing the warm emerald color he missed so much. Booth swore that whoever did this to Bones, his Bones, would pay dearly for what they had done.

* * *

Yes, Erkith is a genius for having the idea of a bad Arcult! Genius, really. Next chapter, last chapter, is all laid out. I just have to link together the steps and phrases of the outline and it'll be done! So, cheerio! I hope to see your review in my inbox. It really does speed up the writing process. Until next chapter, Ash. 


	5. The Sound of Sirens

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None (I've only seen two episodes anyways…)**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Was going to be two, but can't really do that now, can I? At the moment, it'll be around four or five chapters**

**Last Words: Again, I have only seen two episodes and I am mostly going off of what I have read on people's stories. Don't hurt me! –hides in corner-**

**Chapter 5: The Sound of Sirens**

Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. School is really packing it on now, so I will regrettably have to only update maybe once a week. Sorry for the delay, and thank you for coming back and continuing to read this!

Ah calm down Alyssa : )

* * *

"Booth?" Brennan's voice was weak and shaky as Booth pulled the cloth away from her mouth, but she was alive and that was all that mattered to Seeley Booth right then. 

"Yeah, Bones. I'm here." He smiled warmly at her, pushing the hair from her face. She frowned at him. Even with ropes binding her ankles and wire around her wrists, she managed to look like someone you wouldn't want to mess with on a bad day.

"Don't call me that." Booth laughed lightly.

"That's my girl…" He said softly. Booth sat down on the ground behind Temperance and studied the wire wrapped around her thin wrists. The soft skin beneath was raw, and the left was bleeding. Brennan was a true fighter, all the way to the end. Booth reached out and touched the wire, pulling it a bit to try and find an end. Tempe's hands jerked at the rub of wire on torn skin. Booth grimaced as he sat back on his heels.

"This is going to hurt." Booth warned. He took a pocket knife out of his jacket and opened it. Gingerly sliding it under a piece of wire he sawed upwards, trying to break the wire while keeping the pain meter down on Brennan's side. She winced as the wire snapped against her skin, a small welt forming where the end had hit her.

"Sh, it's okay. It's all going to be okay." Booth said in a soothing voice, surprised at how easy it was to do with Brennan. He unwrapped the wire from around her hands and Brennan moved her arms from behind her back to where she could see them. It wasn't a pleasant sight.

Raw bands of skin circled her wrists where the wire had sat, and blood was slowly oozing out of an open wound on her left wrist. Booth took the piece of cloth that had been around her mouth and dipped in a small puddle of clear rain water that had been captured in a leaf. He squeezed the excess moisture off and gently wrapped it around the left wrist. Then Booth ripped a strip of the hem of his already ruined shirt off and repeated the process, tying it on the other wrist. A tiny, almost inaudible whimper sounded in her throat, and Booth looked up to see small tears gathering at the corner of her brilliant green eyes, though her face remained as calm and stoic as ever. Brennan was trying to be strong, to hold it all in. But Booth could see the carefully constructed walls Temperance had built around herself for so long were finally beginning to crack, their unstable foundation slowly breaking. She had made no complaint as she fell into the icy river, no cries for help when she was stuck in the web of scratching branches, no sound of pain when the giant tree hit her and sent her careening back down the river. But, what Booth didn't know was that it wasn't the pain that had cracked her foundation.

"It's okay to cry, Bones." Booth cut the rope around her ankles and took a hand in his. He looked from her hand to her face, where her eyes were searching his for something. "You don't have to be strong all of the time. Even, well, even anthropologists with superpowers need to let it out sometimes." That earned him a small smile. Brennan looked down at the hand Booth held in his own. The soothing motion of his thumb against the back of her scratched hand seemed to have a calming effect on her mind. Temperance took a shaky breath and the tears disappeared from her eyes. Booth continued to rub his thumb in circles on her hand as Brennan collected herself.

"Thank you." She whispered. Booth gave her a small smile. Secretly, though, he was a bit disappointed that he had not gotten the opportunity to comfort her. He wanted to hold her, to feel her small body in his arms, but he needed an excuse, and what better than tears? But Temperance Brennan did not cry easily.

A chill wind whipped through the trees, and Brennan hugged her knees close to her chest, searching for warmth. Booth looked at her, assessing the wear and tear the elements had put upon her clothes. Her green tank top was wet and it clung tightly to her small frame. A few small tears were on the back, Booth didn't know about the front. The long black jacket Brennan was wearing earlier that morning had been lost to the river, and her jeans were wet and torn with mud all over them. Brennan seemed to be in pain as she kept herself curled up in a ball.

"Bones? What is it?" Booth leaned forward; worried that it was something more than her wrists. But what else could it be? He was able to see almost all of her, except her front since she was still curled up.

"Nothing." She whispered in a strained voice.

"Bones…" Booth warned.

"Just cold." Brennan offered. Booth wasn't convinced, but it was hard to argue, and win, with Brennan, even in this condition. Booth removed his jacket and draped it around her shaking shoulders. The shivering seemed to decrease some, but Brennan's face was still tight. She pulled the jacket all the way around her till all you could see was her head, hands, and feet.

"We need to get back and find out who did this to you." Booth's voice was hard, revenge on his mind. She nodded and tried to stand. Booth was up in a flash and helped her to her feet. Thank god her shoes had been able to hold on to her toes… Brennan stumbled immediately, still numb and stiff from being tied up. Booth caught her around the waist as she fell forward. He felt his arm press into her stomach and she made an indistinguishable sound in her throat, and as Booth pulled his arm away from her torso, he could see the unmistakable rust color of blood on his white shirt.

"Sit." He ordered. A hole was ripped across the front of her shirt in a diagonal line just to he left of her navel. The green shirt was stained a dark red around the hole where the cut had been made. Booth slowly raised the hem of Brennan's shirt until he could see the entire wound, among multiple bruises.

It appeared that someone had stabbed Brennan then dragged the knife across her stomach. The cut wasn't too deep, a pocketknife could have done it, but Booth didn't know how long ago Brennan had been stabbed. It shouldn't have been very long, since the wound was still bleeding despite the temperature.

"How long have you been here?" Booth gently ran his fingers around the cut. Her skin was soft and cool, and Brennan shivered at his touch, sending goose bumps up and down her arms. Booth automatically pulled her towards him, wrapping the jacket around her even tighter. He kept a strong hand over the cut on her stomach to keep the blood flow to a minimum. She couldn't afford to lose anymore blood, or body heat for that matter. Brennan went stiff as a board when he first touched her and pulled her to his chest, but she welcomed the warmth and allowed herself to be held, relaxing in his arms.

"I don't know." Her voice was soft, and Booth swore he sensed some fear creeping out as well. Brennan quickly retold her journey from the river to the pool and from the lightning to the tree root. Booth mentally kicked himself when she started talking about the lightning. It had been Brennan across the river! He should have known, should have stayed with her instead of listening to Joe Arcult.

"Arcult." Booth growled, the image of the overly helpful man materializing in his mind.

"Who?" Temperance asked, clearly oblivious to the fact that the very man who had been leading the rescue team was on Booth's hit list at the moment.

"The guy with the megaphone."

"What about him?" Booth's face was pensive.

"Do you remember anything from when you were lying in the pool? Anybody come by?" Booth questioned. Brennan's eyes widened in realization as the memories came crawling back to her.

"Yes! Someone was there. He took me out of the pool and whispered something in my ear. Then I heard something snap and my stomach began to sting." Brennan remembered. Booth grimaced at this new information.

"What did his voice sound like? Do you remember what he said?"

"I don't remember what he said, but he had an accent. Maybe southern, and he sounded kind of old. A young grandfather, perhaps? Yes, I'm pretty sure it was a southern accent." Brennan said. Booth's suspicious of Arcult had found a foundation.

"It was Arcult who cut you. I don't know exactly what he planned on doing, but I bet it wasn't good. He was probably going to leaved you here to die or come back later and finish the job." Booth pieced together some parts of the puzzle. "But I just don't know why…"

"The body by the river." Brennan guessed. Realization sparked in Booth's eyes. Of course!

"I bet. Now, let's get back and see if we can find a medical kit. You need some looking over." Booth stood, Temperance still held in his arms. He liked how the 'we' sounded as it rolled off his tongue… Brennan started to protest, but Booth wouldn't hear any of it. "Last time I let you out of my sight, you were gone. I blinked and a tree took you. I can't concentrate on the path and you at the same time, but if I hold you, at least I know you're still here and something won't tear you away from me again."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Brennan objected, missing the meaning behind Booth's words. Booth rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Let's see… you've been stabbed by a murderer, hit by a tree, almost fried by lightning, and thrown down a crazy river in the freezing rain. No way in hell am I letting you walk. You're just too much of an attraction for all things bad and dangerous today, Bones." Brennan and Booth were still arguing by the time they reached the edge of the pool.

"Stop." Brennan commanded with such authority in her voice that Booth stopped arguing and stood at attention, ready to salute if the woman in his arms commanded.

"How do you know the others on the rescue team aren't with Arcult?" Booth hesitated for a minute, seeing the logic in Brennan's statement. The crew seemed to get along like good pals; maybe it was a group effort. They certainly had enough men and muscle to pull it off, as well as good cover. Who would suspect a crew of rescue workers to work under their supervisor, a murderer?

"Can you stand?" Booth asked. Brennan gave him a look; one of her patented ones that made the unfortunate recipient feel dumber than a square wheel. "Uh, right." Booth laughed nervously. He set her down on the ground carefully, watching her closely for any sign of fainting, collapsing, et cetera. Brennan crossed her arms over her chest as Booth watched her, the black coat over her shoulders adding an almost sinister effect.

"No I'm not going to fall over, yes I'm fine, and are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to do something about the situation?" Booth was a bit surprised. Sarcasm? Brennan? That was unexpected. He reached over to her and cleanly plucked his phone from the inside pocket. Somehow, it had survived the day with just a crack on the display screen.

"Hello? Yes, Agent Seeley Booth. I'm going to need backup at the Floodwater River passage, south of Washington. Questionable characters under the guise of a rescue squad are camped about two hundred yards north of the backwater pool." Booth talked a little more with the person on the other end, going over the more specific aspects of the call for backup. He hung up and turned back to Brennan.

"What's the plan?" Brennan spoke up. Booth sighed and ran a hand through his already mussed hair.

"Well, Bones, we're going up to the camp and staying out of sight while watching for any suspicious activity in the campsite. Backup should be there soon. The FBI has a special branch around here because of the suspicious activity that always happens around these woods." Booth informed her.

"Where's the headquarters out here? I didn't see any big buildings on our way in." Brennan asked him. Booth winked at her.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He joked. Brennan cocked an eyebrow.

"That's the CIA." She said plainly. Booth resisted the urge to scratch his head. How is it that Bones knew that? She shook her head and began to limp towards him, passing him and quietly making her way around the pool. Never complaining of the pain, not saying anything as she stumbled over the uneven ground on a bad knee, and not even waiting for him to catch up. Booth whistled to himself.

'Now there goes one strong woman.' He thought.

Brennan ignored the pain in her knee and torso and thought back to where Booth had found her. It had been the first time in a long time she had come so close to crying. She had felt the lump in her throat and the burn in her eyes, and that was something that hadn't happened in a long time. He probably thought it was from the pain, but no. The care and concern he showed her, the gentleness with which he handled her, and the kindness his eyes held when he spoke to her. The little things she had gone so long without. Brennan had forgotten how nice it felt to be cared for. She had always taken care of herself. She held a small squeak in her throat as a pair of strong arms found their way around her and she was hoisted into the air like a rag doll.

"You really think that just because I let you stand, I'm going to let you walk?" Brennan almost laughed as Booth hugged her close, enjoying the attention once again. "With your luck today, and my misfortune, the ground will probably open up and swallow you." This time, Brennan did laugh. Booth smiled at the delicate sound. "Keep your hand over your stomach so the blood will clot. It's still bleeding, even with the cold air." The trees on the other side of the pool closed in around them as Booth slipped through the foliage. "Sh." He warned. The sounds of men laughing reached Brennan's alert ears as they moved forward, quietly treading over the wet leaves and gingerly stepping around twigs and branches. Brennan felt Booth grow tenser and tenser as the sounds grew. Finally, they reached the edge of the wood and could see into the camp.

All of the men were gathered in a circle playing cards, save Joe Arcult. The aging man was anxiously pacing back and forth, thinking about Brennan much like Booth had been doing earlier. But, one's thoughts had been loving and worried, while the other's were cruel and nervous. He kept a hand on his hip, an odd shape visible beneath hand and jacket. The driver, Anthony, looked up.

"Oh c'mon, Joe. No need to worry about the FBI guy. He's just looking for his girl. Now come play cards with us." Anthony laughed. Arcult gave what appeared to be a weary smile.

"I jus' don't want to have ta look for him, too, if he gets lost. Bad enough that we can't find the poor girl out there. Lucky for her the weather cleared, though." Arcult managed to look worried, but not for all the right reasons.

"The river's been a fierce one this season, Joe. No need to beat yourself up over her if she don't make it. It's just nature taking what it needs here and there." Randy Medder pointed out. Another one of the men agreed. Arcult smiled at his friend.

"Thank ye for tryin' to cheer me up there, Randy. But as a rescuer, it's my duty to make sure people are safe. If I can't save a pretty little thing like that from a river, than what good am I?" Booth snorted something like 'bullshit,' but Brennan smacked him silently to shut him up. Booth parted his lips to mouth something back at her, but she gave him an urgent and meaningful look as she jerked her head towards camp.

Arcult was now walking around the clearing, inspecting the shadows closely. Brennan hissed something that resembled the words 'you idiot,' and Booth didn't argue. She was right, again. Booth looked around for somewhere to hide. There was nothing. They were stuck behind their twin trees in the presence of a talented actor and killer.

"What was that about?" Grafton questioned Arcult as he walked back to the men's circle.

"Jus' checking for somethin'." Arcult dismissed further explanation with a wave of his hand and a toothy grin. "Now, who's winnin'? Don't want to be rootin' for the wrong player, now, do I?"

The bark of the tree poked painfully into Booth's back as he kept himself pressed against the tree as tight as possible. There had been no time to hide, so he had grabbed Brennan and pinned himself to the trees with her on top of him. The small nook that the two touching trees created had been enough to house most of Booth, and he had held Brennan tight against his chest, her back to him, with one arm snug around her waist and over the wound. When the two heard Arcult retreat back to the card players, they held their position for a little longer. Brennan would argue that it was for safety precautions, but she couldn't deny herself the fact that she like the closeness more than she should have, the proximity comforting rather than awkward. Booth would say that he was just making sure that Arcult hadn't seen them and he was keeping Brennan safe, but he really did enjoy the way her back was nestled in his chest so perfectly and how it had felt so right to hold her there.

Sirens floated down the road and reached the camp. Arcult jumped and resumed his nervous pacing, the hand flying to the odd shape at his hip once more. The men all joked about the "extra help" that had been specially ordered for them. Arcult frowned and moved to the cab of the large truck, slipping into the driver's seat and sitting there, waiting for something. Brennan stepped away from Booth, still staying hidden. She peeked around the tree and glanced out to see what the men were doing. Booth found that he missed her already.

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So, did you like that chapter? A lot longer than usual, just for the week that I left all of you hanging. I'm not sure if I got that CIA thing right, it was just a tidbit I thought of when I wrote it, so sorry about that if I screwed up the funnyness that was supposed to come with it. As always, reviews are inspiring and often speed up the writing process. Plus, if anyone wants to put in some opinion on whether Arcult should have accomplice people in his group, then feel free to say so. Till next time, Ash. 


	6. Broken

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Second to last chapter**

**Last Words: Ah, the almost finale. Please review for a prompt finish, hehe.**

**Chapter 6: Broken, ending number one**

**Note: One more chapter after this! And that's more of an epilogue. Review review review and I might put it up before Monday!

* * *

**

Armed men quickly surrounded most of the camp, lined up along the edge of the clearing nearest to the road. The rescue men were beginning to look extremely confused. Apparently, the armed federals were not here to help them find the pretty doctor that had fallen into the river. Medder looked worried as he searched the area for Arcult. Booth, too, was looking for the old man. A knot settled in the pit of his stomach when the lead rescuer could not be found. Neither he nor Randy saw Arcult in the truck, fiddling with a large dark shape on the passenger's seat, the click of magazines muffled by the thick doors and the shouting in the clearing.

"Drop any weapons you are holding and place your hands in the air." A loud voice echoed through the camp. The already confused men complied, ropes and playing cards falling at their feet as they stood very still.

"What's going on?" Anthony was having trouble keeping calm as he looked around at the guns that were pointed at him and his buddies. The rest of the rescue team nodded in agreement, bewilderment and fear apparent on their faces. Their reactions to the feds, the earlier conversations, all of it added up and created a conclusion. Booth decided to step in; he had seen enough.

"Hold your fire men. The one we're looking for isn't with them." Booth stepped out from his shelter in the trees, leading Brennan by the hand as she hobbled out behind him. A chorus of voices rose from the group of men in the center of the clearing, celebrating.

"You found her!" "Alright, she's safe!" "Way to go, man!" and other things like that were heard. Booth still felt slightly uneasy as he continued to glance around him. Arcult wasn't in view. Randy Medder still looked a little frightened as well, glancing around trying to locate Arcult. The group in the center began to disperse as the gunmen lowered their firearms.

"Where is Joe Arcult?" Booth took another step forward and protectively pulled Brennan closer to him, their arms touching as she leaned slightly on him to lift some of the stress on her knee. A series of murmurs reached his ears as the men whispered amongst themselves and looked around. When they had first been aimed at, they had thought that perhaps one of them was a criminal or there was a serial killer in the woods nearby. Nobody suspected their gentle supervisor, but that's what made his ploy work so damn well.

"He was here a second ago." One said.

"Must'a gotten scared when the sirens came up." Another added. Booth grimaced. The old man was making this so much harder than it should be. He was working alone among a set of good, law-abiding citizens who wanted nothing more than to go out everyday and save whoever they were called to. Why did this have to be so difficult?

"We got a runner…" Booth muttered under his breath so only Tempe could hear him. Aloud, he shouted, "Arcult may be armed and dangerous. It is imperative that we find this man, and soon!" Medder now looked a bit guilty, like he had done something incredibly wrong but at the same time was doing something right. Nobody heard the dull roar of the motor over the hustle and bustle of a manhunt; nobody noticed the truck begin to go into reverse and slowly turn out into the middle of camp.

Multiple shots rang out as the car began to plow through the camp, swerving every which way so that you not only had to avoid bullets, but avoid getting run over as well. As dirt flew into the air around the clearing, Booth and Brennan ran back to the trees. The rescue team shouted and dove for cover behind the chairs and machines in the area, and the SWAT teams shot back at the car. Booth felt Brennan's hand fall from his as she shouted, and he turned to see her lying on the ground, a hand held tightly across her torso just below her ribcage, covering her side. Booth scooped her up and finished the few feet to the cover of the trees before setting her onto the ground, trembling. He fell to his knees and pulled her hand away from her side as bullets peppered the ground beside them.

Booth sighed in relief, though it was short-lived. The bullet had only grazed her, leaving a steadily darkening stain of blood on her side. Brennan clamped her hand back onto the wound and pressed hard, trying to stop the flow. Booth removed his gun from the holster at his side and turned back to the clearing. An explosion followed by a scream reverberated through the forest.

Machinery was smoking from where it had been shot, small fires hissing and multiple fold out chairs lying on the ground with twisted metal legs and punctured backing. Ground was upturned where the lead bore into it and tire tracks swirled around the site. The rescue men were trembling on the ground, hands over their heads for what little protection they could get. The large truck was turned over on its side, wheels still spinning. One of the SWAT members must have shot out the tires. The rescue team scrambled to their feet after the shots stopped, and after checking themselves over for injures, they ran to the cover of the federal gunmen. One man, though, remained facedown in the clearing, not moving. A puddle of rusty blood began to form around him, but it was not he who had screamed.

Joe Arcult gaped at the young man among the wreckage, eyes wide and scared. He dropped out of the cab of the truck and landed hard on the ground. Then he picked himself up and ran out across the ground, his left leg bent at a funny angle. His large semiautomatic gun lay forgotten by the truck. He finally reached the still man and fell beside him, ignoring his broken leg as tears that were not from pain began to form in his eyes.

"Randy? Can you hear me?" Arcult's voice quavered, the guns of federal men trained on him. Arcult gently rolled the man, identified now as the strong Randy Medder, onto his back.

"Joe?" Randy's voice retained the strength and steadiness it held before. Arcult looked guiltily at him and shook his head slowly and deliberately.

"It's over, boy. No need for that anymore." Arcult whispered. Medder smiled and coughed.

"Well, I'd have rather died before exposing you for what you are." Arcult shook his head in disbelief and denial, applying more pressure to the bullet wound on his chest and refusing to accept the cold truth. "Dying at twenty-five wasn't really on my to-do list, but, hey. Better that than betray you, dad." He spoke softly, the life fading from his still body as Randy Medder Arcult breathed his last breath into the cool evening air, a broken father's cries slowly rising with it.

"His son…" Brennan whispered in disbelief. Booth hesitated, and then lowered his gun. Arcult wouldn't be doing anything now. To lose his son, probably his only son, to his own act of madness would live with him for the rest of his life, tormenting him in prison where his only companions were the demons that haunted his twisted mind. Randy remained loyal to his father until he died. Booth thought about his own son. Would Parker do that for him? It both saddened and surprised Booth to think that he did not know the answer to that question. How could he? Seeley Booth was barred from his son, yet the two Arcults worked side by side, day after day. They truly had a father and son bond, something Booth did not know if he could, or would, ever have with his son Parker. A soft touch on his cheek awakened him from his plaguing thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Temperance's voice was soft, and Booth felt comforted by the concern in her tone. He nodded and offered her a small smile, not fooling anyone as his eyes traveled back to the despairing man in the camp.

"Parker?" Brennan guessed, following his gaze to father and son. Booth nodded again, and Tempe understood. "He would do the same for you." She smiled gently at him, but as much as Booth wanted to believe her, he couldn't. Not yet.

The federals were approaching Arcult slowly, trying not to scare him off. The tired man looked up at the approaching gunmen. The life was gone from his eyes; he had nothing left to live for. There was no purpose, usually an incentive to go crazy and do something along the lines of felony. Not Arcult. The careworn father made no protest as the men gathered him up and quickly escorted him to their cars. Booth immediately stood up and turned to Brennan.

"Medic. Now." He ordered, picking her up again and stepping towards the grouping of government cars across the almost empty camp. Ambulance lights were flashing silently as some of the medics loaded Randy's body into the back. One looked up and saw Booth walking over with a struggling, yet hurt, forensic anthropologist in his arms.

"What do we have here?" The medic cracked a grin. Brennan muttered something about arrogant and egotistical FBI agents and Booth laughed at her, the vulnerable Seeley gone for the moment, hidden again behind walls, just like Brennan.

"Where to start? She fell in the river, got thrown against rocks and a tree, almost got struck by lightning,-" Booth started before Brennan cut him off.

"No need to retell the bruises and scratches. Those don't matter." She turned back to the medic. "I got stabbed in the stomach, grazed by a bullet, injured my knee on a rock in the river, and my wrists were cut into by some wire." Brennan stated flatly, not thrilled at the idea of people in white and blue bustling around to take care of her injuries. The medic nodded and opened his mouth to speak. "And I am not going to a hospital." She finished. Booth sighed. That was that.

"Okay, let's take a look." The medic opened the back of the ambulance and brought out a medical kit and a stool. Booth set Brennan down on her feet and stood behind her, supporting her if needed. The medic sat on the stool and Brennan lifted her shirt to reveal her purple ribs and injuries. A strip of red showed the path of the bullet, still bleeding slightly. The stab wound had stopped bleeding, and dried blood surrounded the cut on her taught stomach. The EMS man took out an alcohol pad and dabbed around the cut first, clearing off the dried blood to reveal a long, thin line, thicker at one end then tapering off towards the other end. He did the same thing to the bullet mark. After various creams and more dabbing, the medic took out a stretch of gauze and bandages and wrapped it tightly around Brennan's torso before cutting the end and taping it off.

"That takes care of the bullet and the knife. Let me see your wrists." Temperance held out her hands were Booth's makeshift dressings still covered her wrists. The medic slit the cloth and gently peeled off the left one for the lovely sight of raw flesh and dried blood. Beautiful. The same procedure as before was used, and after her left and right wrist were covered with clean bandages, he got up from the stool and sat Brennan down on it to look at her knee.

The already torn fabric gave easily to the medic as he ripped it up the side so he could access the hurt knee. A large gash ran down the side of the leg and the joint was purple and black, not unlike the rest of her body.

"Ouch." Booth muttered. The medic gave a low whistle.

"You've been running around on that all day? Well, lucky for you, the river temperature helped keep the swelling down initially, so now you just have to deal with some nasty bruises and a gash." The medic poked and prodded Brennan's knee, checking for anything broken or dislocated before cleaning it and handing her an ice pack.

"Looks like you're good to go. Just make sure to change the bandages every few hours to avoid infection. And it would probably be in your best interest to see a doctor within the next few days, just to be sure." Brennan rolled her eyes and looked down at her knee.

"No skirts for awhile." She said plainly, the sarcasm a likely result from spending too much time around Booth. Said FBI agent pretended to look sad.

"Oh, man." He grumbled. Brennan smacked him. Hard.

"Can we go?" She sounded tired, the morphine from the EMS guy taking effect. Booth looked at her on the stool. It had been a long day for both of them, he thought as his stomach growled softly. A glance at his now-scratched watch showed him that it was around five in the afternoon.

"Yeah. We can, Bones." He replied in an equally tired voice, response earning him a glare from Brennan. "You hungry?" She rolled her eyes again and he helped her hobble to his car.

* * *

Well, here's the first ending I wrote. Needless to say, I'm not that happy with it, so I wrote an epilogue. The draft of it is already complete, I just have to type and edit. So if I get plenty of nice reviews for this chapter, I will give you guys the grand finale before Monday as a special treat! -Ash 


	7. Water Lily

IMPORTANT: This is my first ever Bones fic, and even though I've read almost all of the BoothxBones ones here, I have still only seen the show twice! So, if there are mistakes, tell me so I know what not to do later. Much thanks!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the scotch tape holding posters to my wall.**

**Spoilers: None**

**Pairing: Booth x Brennan**

**Chapters: Last chapter/epilogue**

**Last Words: Ah, the finale. Please review.**

**Status: Complete**

**Chapter 7: Water Lily**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story, it really kept me going through failing math grades, which are now up, and comments helped shaped the story to what it has become. Which brings me to a special thanks to Erkith. Yay!**

A/N: This is a fluffier, happy ending to the hanging ending from last chapter. Totally optional to read this if you are more into the angst factor instead of the fluff factor. Ya.

* * *

The ride back to Washington was uneventful and spent in comfortable silence. It seemed that the silence was always comfortable between the two, never really awkward. Always perfect. Brennan was asleep on the passenger's side, her head turned towards Booth. Her soft, even breaths were the only sounds in the large SUV. Booth felt his stomach grumble again, reminding him that he had not eaten since breakfast and Brennan probably hadn't eaten for awhile either. On the way to her house, Booth stopped by a restaurant and picked up some Chinese food to-go, planning to eat at her house to keep on eye on Brennan until she went to sleep.

Gravel crunched beneath his tires as Booth pulled into the driveway of her large house. After braking and turning off the ignition, Booth leaned over to Brennan and gently shook her shoulder to wake her. She mumbled something and turned her head away from him, making Booth smile. He stepped out of the car and slowly walked over to her side and opened the door. There was a soft smile on her face as she slept; the face of innocence. He reached up to her face and ran his finger along the curve of her jaw line before gently whispering in her ear.

"Wake up, Bones. You're home." He tried. Her eyes slowly opened as she woke up and yawned. A small, cute yawn, Booth couldn't help but think. She looked at him, still half asleep. A smile crept onto Booth's face as he watched her. Brennan was still such a child, not used to being taken care of by anyone but herself. She yawned again and unbuckled her seatbelt, stepping out of the car without any assistance. She kept her balance as her feet met the ground and Booth took the food out of the back. Brennan removed a key from her purse that she had left in the car that morning, a morning that seemed so far away now. Booth followed her slow steps to the door where she unlocked it and stepped inside. He hesitated at the small stairs that lead up to the door.

"You in the mood for Chinese?" He ventured as Brennan turned to face him. She gave him a smile, her emerald eyes dancing with silent laughter. He just looked so… cute. Standing at the bottom of her stairs, holding the to-go bag like some sort of prize. His soft brown eyes looked hopefully up into hers, and his face held an innocent smile as he waited for her reply. Brennan nodded and moved back. Booth let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and stepped up the set of steps and into her house.

Booth had always pictured Brennan to be the fastidious type, not a speck of dust and everything organized in her house. But the large hallway and adjoining rooms had just the right amount of clutter, and books were everywhere. He could get used to coming here more often. The hardwood floor was a dark, warm brown and a deep red rug stretched across the entrance hall. Booth followed Brennan through a maze of books to her kitchen where he set the food down on a counter. Brennan held her left arm close to her side and was trying to reach the plates as best she could with her injuries. Booth smiled at her small act of independence.

"Here, Bones. Let me get it." He easily reached over her head and set two plates down as well as two glasses. He expected a glare from Brennan for taking over, so he did not look her way as he asked his next question. "Got any ice?" If Booth had been paying attention, he would have seen not a glare, but a soft smile upon Brennan's delicate features. He found the ice machine without a reply from the anthropologist and quickly filled the glasses with ice and water. Brennan began filling the plates with the food Booth ordered; she was glad he was staying for dinner.

"We can eat in the living room." She told him. Booth took the plates and Brennan held the glasses as she led the way into a comfortable room filled with books, just like everywhere else. They set their dishes down on a low coffee table, conversation still kept to a minimum for fear of scaring the other off. "I'll be right back." Brennan went back to the kitchen, for utensils most likely. Booth remained standing to wait for her, looking around the room at everything.

"What are you doing?" A voice from the doorway said. Booth whipped around to see Brennan leaning against the door frame, her left hand draped across her stomach and the right resting lightly on the wood. Booth smiled sheepishly.

"Just looking around." He replied. Brennan gave a little laugh and shook her head before walking over to join him. The two sat on the couch and began to eat in silence, silence that was beginning to dominate them for the time. Booth watched her nimble fingers neatly handle the chopsticks she had as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. She really was amazing.

* * *

"So," Booth started, setting his fork down on a near empty plate, "I guess I should have left you to the Jeffersonian today." Though he tried to cover it up with a joking tone, Brennan could sense the guilt in his voice. He had been quiet during dinner, deep in thought.

"I guess so." Brennan smiled at him to reassure him that all was forgiven. "Nothing today was your fault, Booth. I really need you to remember that. And if I had found out that you had gone without me, you would probably end up like I am right now. It was one or the other." Booth smiled at that, but his eyes were still sad. "What's wrong? It's more than guilt, I can tell."

"It's nothing." Booth replied.

"Are you mad about what happened today?" She questioned, thinking back to the shootout and Booth's reaction to Arcult.

"I'll admit, after that bullet grazed you, I was about to run out there and strangle him with my bare hands." There was no smile, no joking tone. Booth was perfectly serious, and Brennan doubted that he wouldn't live up to that given the chance. "But, I couldn't leave you. Too much happened today to risk that again. But I had to do something, I wasn't just going to sit there and watch him drive around with a gun.

"I shot the wheels out, and the car rolled. That broke his leg, apparently." Brennan nodded, though not remembering Booth using his gun earlier. "And then when he came running out, on a _broken_ leg, to the guy in the middle, I hesitated. Probably should have blown him away right then, but something told me not to. Not just yet. So I waited. And when it was his son…"

"That was enough." Brennan finished for him. Booth gave her a rueful smile.

"Yep. And seeing them, hearing what Medder did for his father, I thought about Parker…" Booth's face turned downcast at the mention of his beloved son. Brennan face hardened at this. It always made her angry where Booth's son was concerned. She set her chopsticks down on the plate and scooted closer to him, taking his hands in hers.

"You are a wonderful father, Booth. It is not your fault that you can't show that to Parker or his mother." Her voice was forceful, almost bitter as she thought of how unfair it was for Booth to be shunned from his own son whom he obviously loved so much. "And believe me when I say this; I'm sure he would do the same thing for you, given the chance." Now it was Booth's turn to take her hands, turning his own upwards and intertwining his fingers with hers. He didn't want her angry on his account; she had her own battles to fight.

"I do believe you." He said, sad that he had been able to know and feel love like he had with his son and know how wonderful it felt. Brennan had never had that, but she was still trying to help him. It wasn't fair for someone so beautiful and caring to not know love. "I wish you could meet him, though. He would absolutely love you." Booth sighed. 'Just like his father.' He thought. He sensed Brennan stiffen across from him and jerked his head up, scared of what he might have just said.

"What?" She whispered, her voice full of fear and, hope? Booth squashed the thought, his own heart muddling his perception of emotion.

"Just like his father." Booth replied in an equally hushed voice. He looked away, scared of the inevitable denial, being kicked out of the house, the disappointment that she hated him because of what he said, what he felt. The lecture on work relationships would come, and the bond they had been developing for so long would shatter, leaving Booth with nothing.

"You love me?" Brennan was in denial. Now she was the one waiting for the denial and slamming door as he stormed from her house in an uproar about overanalyzing people who had no life. The disappointment when the door shut, leaving her in the dark. A dark void of any life, emotion, or purpose. But she was surprised when Booth did not move, did not run from her house. He was still there, still holding onto her.

Booth looked up to see Brennan with her eyes wide and a light blush on her cheeks. She had not yet denied it, or kicked him out. But she was probably just in shock, the rest would come soon. But when it did not come, and they remained still with their hands locked, Booth began to regain confidence. Maybe there was hope. But Brennan ruined the moment, scared to accept anything beyond their friendship. She jerked away and, as quickly as her injuries would allow it, she began to clear the plates and rush to the kitchen. Booth sat empty handed and confused. Why was it so hard to understand women? He heard the clatter of plates and then, nothing. Booth stood and walked over to the kitchen.

Brennan was standing over the sink, her hands supporting her as they clutched the marble. She was so confused. Her head was a maelstrom of emotions, and it was overwhelming. After keeping everything locked up for so long, it was hard to distinguish what was what in her heart and her head. Nothing was as it should be. Booth loved her? When did that happen? It wasn't supposed to! He could have any girl that he so much as winked at, so how was it that he chose her? Her breath hitched in her chest as she tried to control the confusing thoughts in her head.

It hurt Booth to sit there and watch Temperance fight her inner self. He wanted to go and help her, but she had to decide for herself whether to accept him or not. After what seemed like hours of just waiting, he walked up behind her. Brennan felt him at her back, touching her lightly with his hand just barely touching her waist.

"Are you okay?" He sounded worried now. Brennan shook her head and began to speak, but she did not turn around.

"Why? Why me, Booth?" Her voice was strained.

"Why not? Why do you doubt your own beauty, Temperance? Why don't you believe in yourself?" He replied, not knowing why she could ever doubt herself. He left her to her thoughts, as much as it pained him to do so, and returned to the living room where he turned on the news to wait for her. For however long it took, he would wait.

* * *

Brennan walked quietly to the doorframe, hugging herself tightly. The news was on, depicting a familiar scene. A large truck rolled across the screen, men were diving out of the way as machinery went up in flames around them. The camera shot switched to a man in a dirty black suit, his face determined and angry. From the angle, it was just possible to see a woman in a torn shirt and muddy jeans lying next to him, her face hidden in the shadows of the trees and a hand on her side. Brennan recognized Booth and herself on the news as a reporter commented on how the man in the black suit had pulled the woman to safety just before the man in the truck had made a final shot on her. The man in the black suit looked down at the woman on the ground, his face sick with worry and fear. Brennan watched him pick her up and hug her close to his chest before the camera settled on the now smoking truck.

Booth watched the news without emotion, his face blank and if you looked harder, sad. Brennan sighed quietly. She had made her decision.

"Thank you." She spoke up, causing Booth to jump a bit and look towards her. "For everything." Booth looked back down at his hands where they rested on his knees, toying with the dirty fabric.

"I couldn't let you go." He replied, despair in his voice. "If I had lost you to Arcult, or the river, I would never be able to live with myself knowing I could have down something to save you." His eyes held a far away look as he spoke to her. Neither moved from their positions across the room.

"I know." Brennan spoke not of the actual words Booth had said, but of the meaning in them and the emotion they betrayed. He looked beyond hopeful as they locked eyes across the dark room. Brennan took a deep breath and closed her eyes, preparing herself for what she was about to say and how it would change her life. Nothing would ever be the same now.

Booth waited in apprehension, his heart falling further and further as he watched Brennan in the doorway. Her face held no promises, just confusion. This was it. This was what would change them for good.

"And I you." She whispered. Booth barely heard her, but it didn't matter. He was across the room in an instant, suddenly standing in front of her. Brennan opened her eyes and looked up into his face. She felt a large burden lift from her shoulders with those three words. She couldn't bring herself to say the big three words yet, but Booth could wait. Temperance felt ice begin to climb her spine as she felt herself drowning in his deep brown eyes, the emotion almost overwhelming. He leaned closer to her, his warm breath brushing over her lips. She was trembling. Booth gently brushed his lips across hers and pulled back slightly. She was so scared, yet she felt so safe in his presence. His arms encircled her, pulling her from her anchor that was the doorframe and into open water, a leap of faith. Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around his waist and she buried her face into his chest, feeling better than she had in a long time.

Brennan pulled her head back from him and looked up into his eyes. They showed nothing but the purest emotion of love. For her. A shock of hair fell across her face, and Booth removed one of his arms from around her shoulders to tuck it back behind her ear. His hand paused on her neck, his fingers raising goose bumps on her skin. He tugged a bit on a lock behind her ear and removed a small flower that had managed to cling to her brown tresses throughout the day.

"Water lilies symbolize purity of heart." Brennan said softly, the irony perfect. Booth studied the limp bud in his hand.

"Well, this is certainly a survivor." He tucked it back into her hair, the wonder of how the flower survived the day, not to mention the weather, buzzing through his head. It was meant to be. "Purity of heart in a corrupt world." Before Brennan could reply, she felt his soft lips against hers, gentle and pure. Just what love should feel like.

_Finis

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Well, it's finished. This ending was just fun for me to write, so excuse all OOC things and such. I hope you enjoyed this story, from beginning to end. Thank you for reading it, and please leave a review on your way out. -Ash


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